Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1887-02-08

looking back, and our cold steel from
under the hammer was appalling to
aristocratic, over rated, swell-head
time concerns whose inevitable hour
was nigh: In our leader for January
were these prophetic words:
"We are crowding the Old Regular
beyond sundown. and will bury him
there; bottom values at close, quick
profit for cash will finally settle
things, and our arguments and adver-
tisements are plainly printed on every
item, in order that no intelligent mer-
chant can possibly make any mistake
as to where lay his best chances for
early success"
In 81 Real Valves. insatiahle am
bition and enormous increase in
trade, had led us over to 341. from
Broadway around to Leonard 305 feet
from door to door, seven floors.
"To one million readers we pre-
sent our January facts and figures.
To merchants who may never cross
our threshold it is invaluable in post
ing them upon real values and rock
bottom prices. TO the jobber are
presented some queer quotations, un-
heard of in the counting room of the
commission merchant or manufactur
er's agent. Our figures are shaped
by the falling of the hammer and
vary from sale to sale, day after day,
at the custom house, under the red
flag from the embarrassed factory, or
the marble palace over whose dome
but yesterday foated the stars and
stripes, to-day the sheriff's flag
1882 found us whirling along the
mercantile highway at terrific speed
and magnificent majorities, and in
our inaugural of January 1888 were
these volumes of truth crowded into
a few words:
What countless and magnificent
opportunities escape even the best
of us in our short career; and what
fatalities we clutch that should have
been stunned with horror; and how
easy now to look back upon lost bat
tie fields that might have been vic
tories had we but stopped to read the
grim lessons of feXperience-the threa-
tening portents of danger that stared
us in the face at every turn in life.
What prosperity has been blighted,
pledges and promises broken; what
enterprises paralyzed, vast fortunes
swept away and young men crowded
into premature old age! All because
they fought under the banner of King
Credit instead of loading their Cat
ling guns to the very muzzle with
that sterling stuff, that unanswerable
omnipotent bullion, that will buy the
world itself.
1884 was n panic wear in credit commercial
circles and threw vast quantities of goods upon
the inarlxeL. aud ear ssrs.ot hcad4narters were
cboI,ed and croyv,l.,l tIrougJ,o,Tt the yea ond
there was not building below Grand on Broad
way that would hold the diminutive Church
street Liliputian of 1876 The final move but
one upon the checker board of our eventful
life of vicissitudes. of trial and struggle. of de-
feat and victory. and early in 1885 moved
(scvente,.n bundled Dray lOads) to our present
battlefield. The past had demonstrated be-
yOnd the shadow of doubt that concern con-
Quoted upon business principles. selling goods
for cash at Il close quick profit of five per cent.
would succeed rinety-nine ont of one hundred
whilst the credit masses would be swept into
oblivion by lcgions to the tune of nine four out
of every hundred.
Our opening addrcs (46G and 1861 began with
these historic facts:
- If we have fulfilled the prophecy we have
fairly meritcd it. and along with our own un-
prcccdcutcd success we point with eXcusable
pride to more than five Thousand full generals
in mercantile metophor whom we have won
and led up from the credit ranks now looking
out upon their battle fields already won. Life
is so short aud precious that it will not do to
waste time upon dead uncertainties. hence we
urge upon all men pamtin@ for prestige. pop
ularity and wealth to embrace the chances that
ninGty-nine ont of one hundred will lead to
triumph and our short story Is not presented
in any spirit of egOtsm. but ratherin the hon
est, candid. earnest belief that most men may
mHtch-tiat many can and have beaten ii. and
that it may reclaim from the ranks of King
Credit manv IA hero who truly deserves success.
but Is wasting his magnificent energy and his
sublime courage in "a hopeless struggle under
the black shadow of the fatal upls of unlim-
tied time.
"Our large and rapidly increasing trade has
driven us into quarters where we have ample
room to give full scope to whatever of genius.
ability and ambition the Almighty has given
us. and with a million in pluck. brains and coin
we shall make determined desperate and de-
cisive effort to become masters of the situation.
and upon our tablet we write with unquivcriug
nerve, Aut Caesar aCt Mill"
CHARLES BROADWAY RoUss.